5 Hearing Aid Cleaning Tips

It’s normal for your hearing aids to get clogged with earwax after wearing them for an extensive amount of time.  

Earwax, or cerumen, is crucial for ear health. It’s a natural, protective coating for the skin inside your ear canals. It traps bacteria and debris while keeping the ears lubricated so that your ears don’t get itchy and dry. 

If you produce too much earwax, it can get impacted and obstruct your ear canals and hearing aids. The sounds you hear may become distorted. If earwax is causing problems with your hearing aids, here’s some advice on cleaning out the wax from your devices.

1. Use a Hearing Aid Cleaning Kit

Your hearing instrument specialist should offer cleaning kits when you purchase hearing aids. If they don’t provide a cleaning kit, you can stop by one of our Pure Sound Hearing offices and buy one. The kits include a soft cloth, a brush, a wax pick/wire loop, and a wax guard tool. You may also purchase professional-grade cleaning wipes. Do not use alcohol or alcohol wipes to clean your hearing aids or any electronics, as they can damage the devices.  

2. Examine Your Hearing Aids

Before cleaning the devices, look at your hearing aids to see what areas need polishing. You should be able to pinpoint the grimy spots where earwax, dust, and other debris have built up. To remove it, carefully use the soft, dry cloth or a brush tool from your hearing aid provider to brush it off. If earwax cannot be removed, use the wax pick/wire loop.

3. Filters and Wax Guards

Most standard hearing aids feature a filter or wax guard. The user can remove and replace these without trouble. Depending on how much earwax you produce, you should change them regularly. Examine these areas each day and replace them as necessary.   

4. Earmolds and Sound Bores

Sounds get collected to your ears through earmolds (the part that rests in the ear canals) or sound bores (avenues through the earmold where sound is received from the hearing aid and transmitted to the ear canal). These sections need to be regularly checked. If there’s earwax on it, use the brush or wax pick/wire loop to clear it off.  

5. Clean the Tubing

Earwax can clog the tubing in behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids. If there’s earwax in the tubing, use an air blower or small flexible wire to dislodge it. 

If you are experiencing any problems with your hearing aids or need help cleaning them, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing. We recommend getting a professional hearing aid cleaning at least every six months or less. 

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